TODAY IS THE DAY!

I am trying not to feel disappointed over the Napa experience. My goal was to enjoy training (I did!) and enjoy the experience (I did!) BUT–I have a problem with pushing myself into being uncomfortable. I just plain DON’T push myself unless I have some peer pressure.

Lifting weights on my own? LOL, I’ll do one set then call it a day.

Running? I won’t push my pace unless I have someone on my side to keep me honest.

Lots of people stop 100 feet from the finish line for a photo op, right?

So during the Napa race, when it got tough I had no one there to push me over the edge to be uncomfortable. Not saying that it wasn’t tough (a distance that far is just plain tough) or didn’t hurt (it kinda did? Who am I kidding. No, not really.)
Classic fitness motivation pushes you into the “no pain, no gain” or “Sweat is fat crying” or “Sore today, Sorry tomorrow” or “IF YOU ARE NOT ON THE VERGE OF DEATH BY THE END OF THIS WORKOUT IT DOESN”T COUNT” I am… not really into that.
This is why I found biking a century so freeing. I was genuinely surprised the first time someone asked me what my time was. People do this for time and not the snack table? Team snack table right here.

So I’m trying to focus my goals for this marathon this week. I haven’t met anyone who is specifically training for this marathon, but I am hoping that doesn’t deter me from staying on task.

Even though this little girl is my favorite pacer, her run 200 feet and take a pee break would not be ideal for most training runs

1) I am about 15 lbs above my ideal racing weight. I think I can drop about 10, especially if I…

2) Clean up my diet. The husband and I just joined the Fresh 20 (www.fresh20.com), and I’m all ready in love. Someone giving me a shopping list and telling me what to buy, what meals to make in what order, and upping my veggie intake with minimal effort or planning on my part? Yes please.

3) Do some damn speed work. My running club has track workouts Wednesday nights at a time that comes right after spin, so it would be tough (especially because Wednesday is a twoaday, and adding one more? Eek!)

4) NOT BLOW OFF MID WEEK RUNS. This should be easier to accomplish over the summer.

5) Work toward a PR. That would be 5:06. A sub 5 would be better. A sub 4:45 would send me into a tailspin of happiness.
So any thoughts or advice, running land? I could use it.

I’m probably not the only one to come up with this but let me tell you about the music fartlek. Like you I hate speed work, doesn’t everyone? If my training program calls for a fartlek, or interval run for that matter, I do it as a music fartlek. If it says 400 sprint and 400 m recovery that’s basically a one to one ratio. So one fast song one slow recovery song. Better than looking down and discovering you’re only 200 m in. I’m also a not super speedy runner/ blogger. Hope that’s helpful!!

Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.